Magic Mallik Wilks, a white rabbit and a song for Sam Nombe ... the story of Peterborough United 3 Rotherham United 3

The home side might have had Sparkes – first name, Jack – at left-back but Rotherham United had fire on the right wing.

Mallik Wilks, in the first half, was sensational. He went on the inside, he went on the outside and in doing so turned the poor Peterborough United defender inside out.

The Millers man had already hit the bar when he produced the moment of the match, leaving his marker for dead with a stunning burst and ‘chop’ then speeding in on goal and burying a low shot in the far corner.

Mallik's magic put the visitors 2-1 in front and better was to come just before the break when Jonson Clarke-Harris struck against his former club.

A third successive League One win seemed assured but then Clarke-Harris literally didn't come out at the start of the second half and figuratively neither did his teammates.

Seven minutes after the resumption of Saturday's compelling, crazy contest, it was 3-3, and that's how it stayed.

No third victory for Steve Evans' men, yet no defeat in the last four league outings either. It was a frustrating day for Rotherham but not a poor one. They'd have taken an away draw against one of the division's most potent attacking sides before kick-off.

“We are the more disappointed of the two teams," the manager said. “We are beginning to show that we'll be where it matters at the top end of the table when time tells.

“Technically, Peterborough are – apart from Birmingham City – the best team in the league. They haven't cut us open by any stretch.

“Cameron Dawson has made one save at 1-1, he's had no other saves to make that aren't bread and butter. If we had had a little bit more care in both boxes, we would have won.”

Two points dropped rather than one gained then. But a 1,000-plus away following will always remember that goal.

Wow. Just wow.

THE MATCH

Rotherham had anticipated what was coming, they just couldn't stop it.

“We knew there would be a Peterborough reaction,” Evans said. “We talked at half-time about not conceding for five/ten minutes at the start of the second half.”

Five minutes into the second period, Sparkes' corner was delivered just where Posh wanted it and just where the Millers didn't and Joe Rafferty inadvertently directed the ball into his own net.

Two minutes later, the same Sparkes routine saw giant centre-half Emmanuel Fernandez run in unopposed and plant a close-range header past Dawson.

Earlier in the clash, Peterborough had dominated possession and taken a 14th-minute lead when Kwame Poku made ground down the right and crossed for James Dornelly to turn the ball in.

The Posh mascot, a white rabbit, celebrated more than anybody, swirling the outsized orange vegetable he was holding in the air.

The Millers had arrived with a carrot of their own, aware that, on a day when only two third-tier matches were being played due to the international break, a win would lift them eight places in the table to ninth and put them level on points with the last play-off team.

After failing behind, they changed shape from 4-3-1-2 to 4-3-3 and, crucially, moved Wilks wide.

“Peterborough started better than us and forced us into a change,” Evans said. “We made that effective change and then, I think, we started to control the game. We could have been further in front at the break.

“We don't think it's going to be an own goal that gets them back in the game. It just comes off Raffs. I think there is a little nudge, but there are no complaints. It happens in every box.

“That gave them momentum and then we conceded a sloppy corner. Their big boy is decent up there.”

Rotherham had needed only three minutes to equalise, Sam Nombe turning and shooting during a penalty-area scramble, the wonder of Wilks did the damage four minutes later and then Clarke-Harris smacked the ball past goalkeeper Jed Steer so hard that he damaged his hamstring in the process.

With the score at 3-3, there was a spell when the Millers were like white rabbits caught in Posh headlights. To their credit, they fought their way through it and pushed for a winner.

Jamie McCart’s back-post header from Joe Powell’s cross was superbly tipped around a post by Steer and penalty appeals were waved away when Nombe went down.

Cohen Bramall went clean through and missed, Jordan Hugill failed to spring Jack Holmes clear and Esapa Osong needed too long to get his shot away before home defenders closed him out.

“Cohen has been really good all week,” Evans said. “When that ball broke for him in the box I thought it was a certainty to go in the far corner.

“If it's based on clear chances, we should win the game. I'm pleased we've shown the spirit to come away from home and get a point and try to win.”

SUPER SAM

Three goals in three games does your popularity no harm at all.

Nombe is putting a lean first year behind him to become arguably Rotherham's most important player.

Fans have come up with a song for him and it rang out at the Weston Home Stadium.

Not only had he notched again, he'd set up Clarke-Harris to score. He was given a rousing reception when he was taken off, as was

Wilks who had got himself on a booking and was making himself a red risk as he tired.

In the last few seconds, Poku went close for Peterborough with a header at the back post to remind everybody that a draw was probably a fair result.

Like Wilks, he was a right winger who's been a menace with his speed and footwork.

Like Wilks, he could go both ways. Which, thinking about it, is pretty much how this mad match went for the Millers.

Peterborough (4-2-1-3): Jed Steer; James Dornelly (David Ajiboye 79), Emmanuel Fernandez, Oscar Wallin, Jack Sparkes; Donay O'Brien-Brady, Ryan De Havilland; Joel Randall; Kwame Poku, Ricky-Jade Jones, Malik Mothersille (Bradley Ihionvien 89). Subs not used: Nicholas Bilokapic, Abraham Odoh, George Nevett, Tyler Young, David Kamara.

Rotherham (4-3-3): Cameron Dawson; Joe Rafferty, Cameron Humphreys, Jamie McCart, Reece James; Hakeem Odoffin, Christ Tiehi (Esapa Osong 90), Joe Powell; Mallik Wilks (Cohen Bramall 64), Jonson Clarke-Harris (Jordan Hugill H-T), Sam Nombe (Jack Holmes 76). Subs not used: Dillon Phillips, Shaun McWilliams, Alex MacDonald.

Goals: Dornelly 16, Rafferty og 50, Fernandez 52 (Peterborough); Nombe 19, Wilks 23, Clarke-Harris 45+2 (Rotherham).

Referee: Elliot Bell (Merseyside).

Attendance: 8,859 (1,039).